Non-slip rug



SeJt- 17, 1963 A. E. WARNBERG 3,104,195

NoN-SLIP RUG INVENTOR. L E., WMM/@542g Sept. 17, 1963 A. E. WARNBERG 3,104,195

NoN-SLIP RUG Filed March 3, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. a E@ MQA/Q ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,164,195 NUN-SMP RUG Archie E. Wamberg, 3224 fNW. 31st St., @Mahoma City, Ghia. Filed Mar. 3, 1950, Ser. No. 12,536 5 Claims. (Cl. lol- 89) This invention relates generally to improvements in rugs, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to what is commonly kno-wn in the art as a throw type rug, such as are used in bathrooms, hallways, etc.

As it is well known in the art, a throw rug which will slide when stepped upon is an irritating and dangerous article. The com-mon procedure is to provide a relatively thin layer of rubber over the lower face of a throw rug, such as by spraying rubber onto the throw rug, whereby the rubber provides a high friction engagement with a floor on which the rug is placed, and the rug will normally stay in a lixed position. However, a throw rug having a rubberized lower surface is extremely difficult to clean and normally cannot be washed in a conventional home laundry system. As a result, such rugs are normally formed of a rather coarse material which can be cleaned by a vacuum cleaner, and such throw rugs are normally relatively expensive. Previous rugs formed of a lightweight material tend to bunch and scuif easily.

Prior workers in the art have used a rubber rnat or the ylike detach-ably secured across the lower face of a throw rug, such that the rubber mat can be removed and the remainder of the throw rug washed in a conventional home laundry. However, the means heretofore used for securing a .rubber mat to the lower face of a throw rug have not performed satisfactorily, and such throw rugs have not been widely accepted. When the top -surfa-ce material is turned under to hold the rubber mat, the rulg is relatively expensive.

The present invention contemplates a novel throw type rug which may be easily moved from one location to another, but will have a minimum tendency to slip when stepped upon. Mo-re specifically, the present invention contemplates a rug comprising upper and lower panels and a mat of elastic material positioned between the upper and lower panels, with the lower panel having a plurality of openings therethrough through which portions of the mat will be forced into contact with a supporting surface on which the 1rug is placed when pressure is applied `on the upper panel, as -by a person stepping on the rug. With this construction, the mat may be easily removed from the rug for a cleaning of the remainder of the rug by a `conventional home laundry. As a result, the rug may be cleaned when and as desired, and yet the rug may be constructed to present a soft and comfortable walking surface which is particularly useful in bathrooms and the like. The mat will stay in the desired position in the rug during a normal use cf the rug, bu-t yet the mat may be easily removed and replaced.

An -important object of this invention is to provide a rug which may be ywashed by a conventional home laundry and yet will have a minimum tendency to slip when placed in used and stepped upon.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rug having a soft and comfortable walking surface, but will have a minimum tendency to slip.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel means for securing a mat of elastic material in a rug wher-ein the mat may be easily removed and replaced and yet will remain in operating position and effectively prevent slippage of the rug on a supporting Surface when the rug is stepped upon.

A Estill further object of this invention is to provide ICC a novel rug which is simple in construction, may be economically manufactured, has an attractive and neat appearance, and which will have a long service life.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a throw type r-ug constructed in accordance with this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view as taken along lines 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of a rug constructed in accordance with this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a lcross sectional view through a modied rug construction.

FIGURE 5 -is a perspective view of the bottom of another moditied rug construction.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view 'of the bottom of still another modified rug construction.

Referring to Ithe drawings in detail, and particularly FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, reference character 10 generally designates the preferred lconstruction of a rug according to the present invention. Generally speaking, the rug 10 comprises an upper panel 12, a :lower panel 14, and a mat 16 of elastic material. The upper panel 12 is preferably formed of a soft material, such as terry cloth or synthetic pile, to provide la soft and comfortable walking surface.

The lower panel 14 of the rug 10 preferably comprises a sheet of mesh material formed by a loose weave of suitable cords 18 with a plurality of openings 20 through the sheet. The cords 18 may be of any desired construction, but are preferably of a material which will perm-it passage of the panel 14 through a conventional home laundry. 'Ihe use of nylon cords 1S weaved into a diamond-shaped pattern has been found very satisfactory, the nylon, as is well known, having a relatively low coeflicient of friction with common materials of floor construction, such as tiles in bathrooms and wood in other iilooring. This permits the rug of the invention to slide more easily on 'the floor when it is not supporting the weight of a person standing thereon. In this form of the invention, the opposite edges 22 of the lower panel 14 are sewed 'or otherwise suitably secured to the opposite edges 24 of the upper panel 12 to provide what may be considered a chamber 26 between the upper and lower panels which is open at the opposite ends of the lower panel 14.

The mat 16 of elastic material may be of any desired size which will t easily in the chamber 26. However, it is preferred that the rnat 16 have a length and width substantially corresponding to the length and width of the lower panel 14 in order that the side edges 24 of the upper panel 12 will extend downwardly around the sides of the mat 16 when the mat 16 is inserted in the chamber 26. Also, with this construction, it is preferred that the upper panel 1,2 have a length greater than the length of the mat 16 to extend over, or overlap the opposite ends of the mat, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. With this relationship of sizes the mat 16 will be obscured from view and the rug 1t) will have a neat and attractive appearance. The mat 16 may be formed of any elastic material which will be forced downwardly through the openings 20 n the lower panel 14 when any appreciable pressure is applied on the upper panel 12, as by a person stepping on the rug 10. I have found that a mat 16 formed of foam lor sponge rubber is quite satisfactory. The rubber has ia relatively high coeflicient of friction with common flooring construction materials, and thus, for example, when the rug is constructed with a nylon lower panel 14 and a sponge rubber mat 16, the frictional tenacity with which the rug grips the floor when the rubber mat is depressed through the openings in the nylon pan-el into engagement with the floor is much greater than the gripping tendency of the nylon lower panel 1li which is alone in contact with the floor when a person is not standing upon the rug. This characteristic of the rug is explained in greater detail hereinafter.

When the rug 1G is in use, the mat 16 is positioned in the chamber between the upper panel 12 and lower panel such that the mat 16 will remain in this position during a normal use of the rug. When a person steps on the rug 1f), a portion ofthe mat 16 is forced downwardly through the openings 2i) below the area where pressure is applied. Therefore, a portion of the lower surface of the mat 16 is brought into contact with the surface on which the rug is placed to provide a substantial amount of friction between the rug and supporting surface, such that the rug will have a minimum tendency to slip or slide. As a result, a person can walk across the rug 1G without fear of falling by reason of the rug slipping out from underneath his feet. However, when no pressure is applied on the upper panel 12, the mat 16 is positioned entirely above the lower panel 14, such that the rug 10 may 'be easily arranged a's desired without the necessity of lifting the rug off of the supporting surface.

When the upper panel ft2 of the rug 19 becomes soiled, the user merely removes the mat 16 from the chamber 26, as by pulling on one end of the mat and the opposite end of the upper panel 12. The upper panel 12 and lower panel 14 may then be passed through a conventional home laundry along with other soiled clothes of a household. When the upper panel 12 and lower panel 14 are dry, the user merely slips the mat 16 back into the desired position in the chamber 26 and the rug 10 is ready for re-use.

This invention also contemplates the use of a modied mat 23 of elastic material, as illustrated in FIG. 4, which has `a piurality of small projections arranged in spaced relation on the lower face 32 of the mat. The projections Sti are of a size to extend through the openings 2G in the lower panel 14 when the mat 23 is inserted in the chamber 26. rtherefore, the projections 35) will grip the surface on which the rug is placed, even when the mat 23 is uncompressed, to further minimize the possibility of the rug sliding or slipping on the supporting surface when the rug is stepped on. It will be apparent to those skilled in the ar-t that the projections 36 may be formed integrally with the mat 28 during the molding of the mat, by cutting, or pressing the mat 23 against a heated die or form (not shown).

This invention further contemplates the use of another modied mat 34 of elastic material, as illustrated in FiG. 5. The mat 34 has a plurality of grooves 36 in the lower `face thereof, with the grooves 36 being arranged in a ldesign corresponding to the design of the lower panel 14. With this construction the cords 18 of the panel 14 `are normally laid in the grooves 36 of the mat 34 when the mat is positioned in the chamber 26, such that those portions of the lower face 3S of the mat between the various grooves 36 will project through the openings 2h in the lower panel 14 and grip the supporting surface on which the rug is placed, even when the mat 34 is uncompressed. It will therefore be appa-rent that the grip of the mat 34 to the supporting surface will be improved to further minimize the possibility of the rug slipping or sliding when a person walks across the rug.

As a still further modification, the present invention contemplates a lower panel tti (see FG. 6) comprising a plurality of bands or strips 42. In this embodiment, the opposite ends of the bands 42 are suitably secured to the opposite edges 24 of the upper panel 12, with the bands ft2 being in parallel and spaced relation to provide elongated openings 44 in ythe panel 4t). It will be apparent that the panel Lit) will retain the mat 16 in the desired position underneath the upper panel 12 and that portions of the mat will be forced through the openings 44 into contact with a supporting surface when a person steps on the upper panel 12. The bands 42 may take any desired form, such as nylon cords or strips of cloth, the requirement being to provide the elongated openings 4e through which portions of the elastic material mat may be forced.

From the 'foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel throw type rug which may be easily laundered in a conventional household laundry and yet the rug will have a `minimum tendency to slip or slide when in use. The mat of elastic material may be easily inserted and removed from the rug for laundry or repair and yet the mat will remain in the desired operating position during a normal use of the rug. It will also be apparent that the present rug construction will provide a soft and comfortable walking surface which is highly desirable for use in bathrooms'and the like and yet the rug will 'have a minimum tendency to slip or slide on a bathroom Hoor or the like. Also, when the mat comprises foam rubber, the mat will absorb water and make the rug particularly desirable for use in bathrooms. It `wiil further be apparent that the present rug is simple in construction, may be economically manufactured, will have a neat and attractive appearance, andwill have a long service life.

Changes may ybe made in the configuration, combination and arrangement of parts or elements as heretofore set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings, it being understood that changes may be made in the precise embodiments disclosed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. For example, although I have shown the rug as being substantially rectangular in configuration, the upper and lower panels and the mat of elastic material may be of any desired configuration, such as L-shapcd or U-shaped to fit around articles of furniture in any desired fashion. Also, although l have described the lower panel being secured at only its opposite edges to the opposite edges of the upper panel, it will be understood that either or both ends `of the lower panel may be secured (such as by sewing) to Ithe upper panel, although `one edge portion of the lower panel should be detachable or disconnected from the upper panel to facilitate replacement of the mat of elastic material.

I claim:

l. A rug adapted 4to be rested on a supporting surface and comprising:

(a) an upper panel having an upper face and a lower face;

(b) a plurally apertured lower panel secured to the upper panel and extending across at least a portion of the lower face ofthe upper panel; and

(c) a deformable, resilient material pad positioned between said upper and lower panels and having an upper face bearing against the lower face of the upper panel and `having a lower face resting on said lower panel over the apertures therethrough, said pad having a coefficient of friction with said supporting surface greater than the coefficient of friction with said supporting surface of the lower panel, and said pad further having a resilience retaining the pad in a retracted position out -of contact with said suplporting surface when the rug is relieved of weight applied downwardly on the upper face of the top ipanel whereby said rug may be slid easily across said supporting surface when said pad is in said rctracted position, said `pad further being sufficiently exible to permit deformation through said apertures into contact with the supporting surface when a person stands on the rug whereby the tenacity with which the rug engages said supporting surface is substantially increased.

2. A rug as claimed in `claim 1 wherein said mat is constructed of foam rubber.

3. A mg yas claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower panel is smaller in area than the upper panel.

4. A rug as claimed in cla-im 1 wherein said lower panel comprises a sheet of mesh material.

5. A rug adapted to be rested on a floor comprising:

(a) an upper panel of soft pliable material having an upper face and a lower face;

y(b) a plurally apertured, nylon mesh lower panel positioned below said upper panel for slidingly oonftacting said floor; and

(c) a deformable, resilient elastomeric material pad positioned between said upper and lower panels over the 'apertures in said lower panel, said pad having a eoetlicient of friction with said oor greater than the coeflicient `of friction of the floor with said lower panel, and said pad further having a resilience retaining the pad in a retracted position out of contact with said floor when the rug is relieved of weight applied ydownwardly on the upper face of the top panel whereby said rug may be slid easily across :said oor when said p'ad is in said retracted position, 'said pad further being sufciently flexible to deform through said apertures when a person stands on the 111g whereby the tenaoity with which the rug engages said floor is substantially increased.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,370,727 BlOOm M31'. 8, 1921 1,944,834 Bennett Jan. 23, 1934 2,614,273 Yancofski OCt. 21, 1952 2,721,818 Dolnick et al. Oct. 25, 1955 2,771,383 Fine NOV. 20, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 252,776 Great Britain June 3, 1926 200,559 Australia Nov. 25, 1954 

5. A RUG ADAPTED TO BE RESTED ON A FLOOR COMPRISING: (A) AN UPPER PANEL OF SOFT PLIABLE MATERIAL HAVING AN UPPER FACE AND A LOWER FACE; (B) A PLURALITY APERTURED, NYLON MESH LOWER PANEL POSITIONED BELOW SAID UPPER PANEL FOR SLIDINGLY CONTACTING SAID FLOOR; AND (C) A DEFORMABLE, RESILIENT ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL PAD POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER PANELS OVER THE APERTURES IN SAID LOWER PANEL, SAID PAD HAVING A COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION WITH SAID FLOOR GREATER THAN THE COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION OF THE FLOOR GREATER THAN PANEL, AND SAID PAD FURTHER HAVING A RESILINET RETAINING THE PAD IN A RETRACTED POSITION OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID FLOOR WHEN THE RUG IS RELIEVED OF WEIGHT APPLIED DOWNWARDLY ON THE UPPER FACE OF THE TOP PANEL WHEREBY SAID RUG MAY BE SLID EASILY ACROSS SAID FLOOR WHEN SAID PAD IS IN SAID RETRACTED POSITION, SAID PAD FURTHER BEING SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE TO DEFORM THROUGH SAID APERTURES WHEN A PERSON STANDS ON THE RUG WHEREBY THE TENACITY WITH WHICH THE RUG ENGAGES SAID FLOOR IS SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED. 